I don’t even know what to say anymore. As I process through my emotions, I’ve gone from despair to downright angry. This is just stupid. How has almost the entire NHL figured out the Ducks and the Ducks can’t make the necessary adjustments to challenge. Not only is it sad for Ducks fans to watch, but it’s embarrassing.
So far this season, the Ducks have not come back from a deficit to win a game. The players and the coaches have said all along that the key to a game is to get the first goal. Birthday boy Saku Koivu did just that. Yet that would all be for naught as the Ducks would give up four unanswered goals to the Coyotes. Corey Perry would score on a breakaway midway through the 3rd period, but it would be too little too late as the Ducks imploded quickly thereafter.
The Ducks are playing so bad, they have forced me to say something I never thought would come across my keyboard: I wish we still had Joffrey Lupul.
GOOD
- The Second Line, which should be elevated to the status of Top Line at this point, continued to have the best game of any line on the team. Andrew Cogliano, Saku Koivu, and Teemu Selanne were the only plus players for the Ducks. Koivu had 5 (!!) hits, second only to Sheldon Brookbank and Devante Smith-Pelly with 6 hits each.
- Speaking of Smith-Pelly, he had a fantastic game on the scoresheet. He lead the Ducks with 4 shots and 6 hits. The only downside were the 2 giveaways
- Francois Beauchemin is an absolute beast with over 27 minutes of ice time in the game. He managed to stay even on the night.
- Hey! Corey Perry is back on the penalty kill! That’s awesome!
- This last one is not hockey related. On Saturday morning, 93 year old Ducks fan Marian Neale (a.k.a Grandma) had a massive heart attack. We were told by doctors that she wouldn’t make it past Sunday. I am ecstatic to report that when I walked to into her hospital room this morning, she first words she said to me were, “When is the Ducks game?” She and I watched the Ducks game on mute, but she faded in and out of sleep for most of it – probably a good thing. She isn’t out of the woods yet, but considering she isn’t supposed to be alive right now, I couldn’t be happier. If only we could get the Ducks some of her fight! (Stick tap to Arthur for filling in while I was at the hospital.)
BAD
- Jonas Hiller had his brilliant moments as usual, but a majority of the goals he let in were soft. He’s developing a nasty habit of wandering too far out of his crease, leaving him waaay out of position and scrambling to get back. Can’t say I wouldn’t mind seeing Dan Ellis in net on Friday versus the Blackhawks or on Sunday versus Toronto.
- As if his luck on the ice couldn’t get any worse, Bobby Ryan left the game with what the Ducks are calling a “hip bruise/contusion”. Updates are expected tomorrow.
- I don’t know what Teemu Selanne says to the referees, but tonight was his second unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. I’m used to saying that Getzlaf needs a muzzle, but not Teemu.
UGLY
- Now I can see why Andy Sutton was traded for Kurtis Foster straight up. He’s a slightly more skilled version of Sutton. Hmm, the best way to describe his play on the ice – he makes his defensive partner Sheldon Brookbank look really good.
- Both Koivu and Getzlaf were in the 30% win range on faceoffs.
- The parade to the penalty box was back in full effect. The Ducks ended up with 28 penalty minutes total to Phoenix’s 6 minutes. This didn’t help that Captain Ryan Getzlaf takes a dumb penalty late in the third and then gets a game misconduct added to it. Evil Hulkzlaf